Demonic Attraction
by InsideTheShadows
Summary: After a life-threatening incident, Nico Robin makes a contract with a powerful demon. Trafalgar Law. Their contract states that Law must protect Robin under all circumstances, in exchange for Robin's soul after she dies. However, it won't be easy for the demon to keep her safe. Since Law isn't the only demon interested in the soul of Nico Robin.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This is my first story, so I hope it's not too bad. I'm sorry if there are any problems with my English. (English isn't my native language.) I got the idea for the story when I was watching Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji). Please review! (Reviews keep me motivated to continue the story.) If you'd like me to continue the story please tell me. You can write "Your story sucks" in the review section and I'll still be happy. (Cuz' that means at least _someone_ read my story.) This site is definitely lacking LawxRobin fics. So I decided to write my own.

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

"Let her go!" A desperate female voice ripped through the darkness of the chamber. The place was lit by candles. It was dim. But just bright enough to see the cage imprisoning a shivering female, the sacrificial table, the bleeding ginger-haired girl tied to the table, the crowd of masked audiences, the cloaked figure holding a dagger dripping scarlet. And blood. Everywhere.

"Nami! No!" The shivering female screamed. The cloaked figure and the masked crowd merely laughed. The ginger girl had already passed out due to the pain. Her body ridden and covered in gashes leaking crimson.

"Well. It seems IT still hasn't showed up. Perhaps another sacrifice is needed." The cloaked figure mused.

"Do it then. Kill the ginger girl then bring out the raven-haired. It had better work this time. She's the last sacrificial lamb we have for today's ritual." Someone in the masked crowd said. The crowd murmured impatient assent. Cold fear coiled around the female with the midnight-black hair. Even though she knew she's going to be next on the table. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the ginger girl that is now bleeding to death. Her friend. Her only friend. "Nami..." She choked out.

"Well, well. Isn't this touching? You're worried about this ginger-haired bitch even though you're next on the slaughter table? How foolish." The cloaked figure cackled. He turned to face the crowd, "The ginger one will die soon enough on her own accord. Bring out the other one." A few masked men and women walked over to the cage, treading in the pools of blood drenching the floor. They unlocked the door to the cage and yanked it open. The shivering woman scurried to the other side of the cage, trying to distance herself from her captors. The crowd laughed at her futile attempts. She struggled against the metal cuffs binding her hands. One of the masked men whistled and eyed the woman with lustful eyes. He licked his lips. "It's too bad she had to be used for the ritual, or else I would have bought her. She is quite an exquisite sight to behold." Another masked man strolled to the woman, yanked her to her feet and kissed her forcibly on the lips. With her shackled hands, she knocked him aside. The man slapped her hard and hollered with laughter. "She's got a fight in her, I'll give you that. The feisty ones are always the fun ones. Such a shame, she tastes remarkably sweet though." The crowd roared with laughter, enjoying the woman's discomfort.

"Enough playing. Lets get this over with." A masked woman said and marched the shivering female to the already-blood-covered sacrificial table. The cloaked figure untied the ginger girl from the table and threw her on the floor carelessly.

"Nami!" The woman cried out.  
"Oh, shut up." The masked woman slapped her with a ringed hand. Leaving a bloody mark on her face. The raven-haired woman bit hard on her lip, forbidding herself to whimper in pain.  
"Ahh. I was hoping you'd grace us with a passionate scream." The masked woman said as she tied her to the table violently. The men whooped loudly. The woman struggled against her binds, bruising her wrists and ankles.  
"You might as well give up, sweetheart. It'll be much more comfortable if you don't struggle." The cloaked figure said as he picked up the dagger. He drove it into her pale thigh. The woman yelped and winced in pain. The cloaked man dug the dagger into her other thigh. "Death by pain and torture. Such a beautiful way to exit this world, don't you think?" She turned her hateful, tear-filled eyes to the cloaked figure. "Go to Hell." She spat.

"I don't mind going there if it means I get to enjoy this lifetime." He cooed in teasing voice. He raised the dagger and was about to stab her heart when black, smoke-like substance suddenly started gathering in the chamber. The candles started flickering.

"It's here! It's finally here!" The cloaked figure shouted excitedly. The crowd became restless, they were all murmuring nervously and excitedly. The bleeding woman on the table watched with wide eyes as the dark substance all gathered to one spot.

It took form in a tall, slender young man wearing a long pitch-black coat and an animal-print hat. He carried a long sheathed sword in his hands which were tattooed. The upper-half of his face was bowed slightly to the floor, obscuring the upper-half of his face. He slowly lifted his head, revealing his face. Robin gasped. His eyes were blood-red. The pair of scarlet orbs scanned the chamber. There were no emotions nor soul in these eyes. They had a wild, feral look in them. The cloaked figure declared loudly "It is I who had summoned you! Grant me my wishes, demon!" The crowd started shouting, "How come you get to have your wish granted?!" "That's not fair!" "Grant MY wishes, demon!" The so-called demon gave everyone in the chamber a cold sweep with his paralyzingly eyes. His gaze stopped on the bleeding woman on the table who was still battling the pain. Her clear blue eyes stared at the scarlet orbs of the "demon". Too terrified, too transfixed to look away.

"So it's you." The owner of the devilish eyes said. Every other sound in the chamber hushed. The demon's voice sounded cold and masculine. Its echoes seem to make the temperature within the chamber drop several degrees. Its eyes bore straight into the woman's.

"Tell me your name." The demon said, addressing the woman on the table.

"Nico... Robin." She answered in the firmest voice she could muster.

"Well, Nico Robin. It is your choice whether to make a contract with a demon and have your wishes granted or not. The sacrifice has been made."

"Is she... still alive?" Robin asked in almost a whisper. Indicating the ginger girl on the floor.

"Barely. But the blood has been spilled. She does not need to die for the sacrifice." A sadistic smirk occupied the demon's face. Relieved that her friend is still alive, burning hatred began to claw her insides.

"I... I want revenge... on the people who did this to me!"

"Somebody kill her!" The cloaked figure that had stood mutely at the side now yelled frantically. The crowd started to disperse, some of the masked people ran forward, weapon in hand, while others fled for the entrance.

"As you wish. I'll put the contract seal on you, and the deal will be done." The demon reached out his hand and rested it on her forearm. Robin felt a blinding, searing pain course through her from the place where the demon had touched her. Her scream of pain sounded through the thick smoke-like substance that started enveloping her and the demon. Everyone present were too shocked to run further or scream. When the darkness had subsided from her, a circular, skull-like pattern was now ebbed into the skin on her forearm.

The demon stepped back from the sacrificial table, "Now then. What would you have me do?" The demon asked.

"Kill them. Kill them all. Spare the ginger girl." Her voice cold with hatred.  
"As you wish." The demon replied silkily. He turned around to face the paralyzed crowd with a chilling smile while slowly un-sheathing his sword. It seems to Robin that the next minute passed in a blur of spurting blood and screams. She watched as the demon severed heads and tore apart limbs. When he was finally finished, the chamber was nearly completely bathed in scarlet, bodies littered the floor like carelessly-thrown rag dolls.

The demon approached Robin and made a flicking-action with his fingers, the chains binding her wrists and ankles broke like someone had magically snapped them.  
"Nami..." Due to her injuries, Robin wasn't able to stand on her own. Yet she was too concerned for her friend to realize that. In an attempt to get to her bleeding friend, she tumbled to the blood-stained floor.  
"Save her!" She pleaded.  
"As you command." The demon walked over to Nami. He grazed his hands across Nami's wounds. Once he was finished, her wounds weren't bleeding anymore and have healed somewhat. Her breathing was less frantic, but she was still unconscious.

"Um... Can't you do something about your eyes? They're quite... un-human." Robin said.

"Un-human? I suppose I shouldn't scare my future contractor with my appearance. A less alarming color would suit you then?"

"Yes."

"Very well." The color of his eyes morphed into a stormy-gray color. He walked over to Robin and placed his hands on her wounds. After a stinging sensation, whatever was left of the pain dispersed.

"How did you-?" Robin's mouth hung open. The demon smiled, "I am a demon after all." He gently lifted her to her feet.

"Do you have a name?" Robin asked.

"Law. Trafalgar Law." The demon answered. He turned to his new contractor, a sadistic smirk on his face.

"Well, then. What are your orders, Nico Robin?"

-To be continued-

I know this seemed more like a prologue than an actual chapter. Sorry about that. So would you like me to continue? I'm currently working on the second chapter. I know this might not look like it'll have romance later on, but it will. (It's a LawxRobin fic.) Please review! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: My thanks to all of you who left a review! I'm terribly sorry for my horrible English. I'm still not used to writing and typing in English. But I'll try my best to improve.

This is the second chapter. I hope it isn't too bad. Please review! (They keep me motivated.)

One Piece belongs to Oda Echiiro.

-xXx-

The cold moon hung in the night sky, basking everything in its pale white glow. Twenty-three-year-old Nico Robin sat huddled in her bed. The memories were back. More vivid than ever. Even though it had been two years since she had nearly been slaughtered in that forsaken chamber, Robin was still un-able to sleep without having the scenes of that night creep into her mind. The echoing screams, manic laughter and the smell of blood had never ceased to haunt her at night. Robin couldn't remember the last time she was able to sleep in darkness. She simply didn't trust the dark anymore. But that suited her just fine. Staying awake was the only way to stop herself from experiencing that night's terror through nightmares.

"No..." the screams rang through her mind. "No..." she could hear the laughter and smell the blood. "Leave me alone!" She screamed into the darkness.

Robin gripped the demon's mark on her forearm. The mark of the demon who made a contract with her on that night. Trafalgar Law. Their contract states that he must protect her under any circumstances, in exchange for her soul after she dies.

"How ironic." Robin thought. The only one who would stay by her side no matter what is actually a demon who is after her soul.

Once a human is marked by a demon, it becomes impossible for the human to ever escape the demon. In other words, she had signed the death warrant for her own soul. Even though Law had abided by the contents of their contract, Robin was still far from trusting him. Whole-heartedly, that is. Which is why she ordered him to stay out of her sight when he is not needed. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter than before. Willing the night to end. Alone in the dark.

-xXx-

Law stood on the roof-top of a building, gazing into the bed room window of Nico Robin. He watched as she sat huddled in her bed. Her arms wrapped around herself like vice. He could tell that the flashbacks were back tonight. And were quite vivid this time.

It had been two years since he had made a contract with Nico Robin. And she was proving to be a very difficult person to fathom. Her career of choice was one of those things Law couldn't understand. He just couldn't fathom why a woman who was nearly slaughtered would become an assassin for hire. It went against all the logics in his brain. After the incident, Robin did various jobs trying to keep herself and the still-recovering Nami alive.

And Robin realized she was particularly good at one of them. Killing. Through time, she became the merciless female assassin. The "Devil's Child". In the under world, the very mention of her name could make gangsters tremble. She was untouchable, deadly.

But Law knew better.

He always stayed out of her sight as she ordered. But he was still there, out of sight. He saw her silent trembles and her struggles with her nightmares.

Law had long stopped counting the years which he had lived. But he had seen more woman with dark pasts than he would have liked. He had thought all women were weak, emotional and relied on others to protect them. Nico Robin had proved him wrong. Although Law was supposed to protect her, Robin could usually handle dangerous situations pretty well on her own.

This peculiar woman intrigued him. That he could admit. Her soul remained un-tainted even after evil befell upon her. And for that, her soul is a precious one. Law counted himself lucky for having encountered such a rare soul. But lately, the alluring scent of Robin's soul is starting to catch the attention of other demons.

Law didn't like that. Not one bit.

And Robin had begun to meet some... un-expected people on her missions of late. People with blood-red eyes and inhuman powers. The fact that she is a well-known assassin and is usually hired to kill "dangerous" people is definitely not helping things either. But Law won't let any other demon steal Robin's soul. No matter what.

-xXx-

Dawn had finally broke, freeing Robin from the haunting nightmares.

She walked into her bath room to freshen up.

"Damn. I look like hell." She thought as she looked at her own reflection over the sink. Robin took in the sight of the dark circles under her eyes and the terrified, feral look in her azure eyes. With a jolt she realized she looked like a prey. Now that's un-acceptable. She should look like the predator. The hunter.

"Get a grip. You've got work to do." Robin told herself sternly. She tied her midnight-black hair into a pony tail and changed out of the purple shirt she wore. Since it's completely wrinkled after her restless night. Robin pulled on a black shirt and checked herself in the mirror. A bit tired-looking and gloomy, but otherwise acceptable. Robin sighed, "A merciless assassin suffering from sleepless nights? Now there's some serious irony."

The musical sound which signaled the arrival of a new e-mail rang from Robin's laptop just as she finished her second cup of black coffee. Robin practically pounced on her laptop, since a new e-mail meant a new mission.  
More and more, Robin is finding the adrenaline rush from battle the only thing to keep herself from going insane. She clicked open the new e-mail. Robin felt her mind getting clearer as she goes through her plan to assassinate her new target.

"So someone is going to die tonight, huh?"

"Damn it, Trafalgar! Don't scare me like that!" Robin yelped as she whipped around, knife in hand, to face the demon who had appeared out of no where.

Law eyed the knife she had pulled out from inside one of her sleeves.

"Trafalgar? Since when did I become a stranger? And would you mind putting that down?" Law asked cooly. Ordinary knives can't deal much damage to demons, but Law still preferred it when no one is pointing sharp objects at him.  
Robin fitted the knife back into her sleeve and looked at the demon in front of her. The demon who would consume her soul after her death.

Robin wasn't dumb, she knew the fact that she was having far more run-ins with demons than she used to is certainly not a "being-in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time" type of thing. Although Law saved her dutifully every time she had problems dealing with them. She was starting to feel wary even around Law. She could almost see the demonic-red color hiding behind the storm-gray of his eyes. And that did nothing but unnerve her more. The distrust in her eyes must have showed since Law raised his eyebrows and asked "Something wrong? You're looking at me like I just threatened you."

"Nothing. What are you doing here anyway?" Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave him a reproachful look.

"Fulfilling my side of the contract. You tend to deliberately throw yourself into harm's way more often these days. So I'll be accompanying you on your mission tonight." Law stated in a bored way.

Robin's eyes widened in horror. Spending more time in the company of a morbid demon is definitely on Robin's "things-that-would-be-best-left-un-occurred-list". 

"Y-you don't have to do that."

"You didn't leave me much of a choice. Didn't you know you're exceptionally skilled at creating new ways to harm yourself?" Law said with his trademark sadistic smirk which Robin is only too familiar with.

Robin groaned, "So there's no chance of you changing your mind?"

"Absolutely none."

Knowing him, Robin knew he meant exactly what he had said.

"Fine. But what are you going to do for now? The assassination will be at night."  
"I suppose I'll keep an eye on you. In case you come up with another creative way for self-maiming."

"You make it sound like I'm a sadist."

"Are you sure you're not?"

That earned the demon a death glare.

-xXx-

"I can't believe you were actually serious about coming along." Robin said as she picked up her pace.

"I'm always serious." Law replied somewhat cockily.

The two of them were headed towards an abandoned storage house where the leader of a street gang is having a party. And if everything goes according to Robin's plans, the leader won't make it through the night alive.

They walked in silence for a while until Law broke it by saying "I can't believe you're hired to kill the leader of petty street gangs."

"I kill whoever the client asked for. That's all." Robin replied while eyeing a group of giggling young woman ogling at them. Or rather, at Law. She sighed. There would be no way for them to appear discreet with a mob of sultry young woman tailing behind them. What annoyed her more was that Law looked as though he was oblivious to it and did not mind them at all. _That bastard_.

Once the storage house was in sight, Robin suddenly stopped. Law turned around and gave her a questioning look.

"You're staying here." Robin stated firmly. Making it clear that her decision was not open for discussion.

"Why?"

"Because your fan girls will draw too much attention."

Law looked behind them at the group of girls who had started following them since who-knows-when. They all squealed when Law looked at them while some of them swooned. Before Law could object, Robin stated once more, "You. Here. Me. Storage house."

"Would you mind talking normally?"

"Just stay here."

"You're in a stingy mood tonight."

"You're wasting my time."

After pondering for a moment, Law consented. Much to Robin's surprise. She had thought she would need to put him on a leash to keep him here.

"Try not to get yourself killed." Law said lazily as Robin continued towards the storage house.

"Try not to have too much fun with your fan girls." Robin bit back at him.  
Law smirked, "I'm just trying to express my concern."

"So am I." Robin said without looking back.

She felt the adrenaline enter her blood stream as she came closer and closer to the storage house. Robin couldn't help but smirk.

"Enjoy this night, Portgas. D. Ace." she whispered, "For it will be your last."

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it! I plan to add Ace and Zoro into the story. But it will still be a LawxRobin fic. I won't kill off any characters. Yet. Would you like me to continue? If so, please let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: My thanks to all of you who left a review! I really appreciate it! When I first posted this story I had thought that no one would like it. Glad I was wrong though.

Anyway, this is the third chapter. I hope it won't suck too bad. (Which it probably will.)

School starts for me on 7/24, so I might not be able to update regularly. But I'll still try my best to keep up the updates.

Please review!

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

The party was rowdy and stupid. At least, in Robin's point of view.

The loud music blasted into her ears and the flashing lights stung her eyes. To make things worse, she still hadn't found her target. Due to that, Robin was definitely not in the best of moods. And the dancing crowd, flashing lights and overly-friendly guys were certainly not helping.

Just when she seemed to be at the end of her patience, she felt someone grab her shoulder. Robin spun around instinctively and gave the arm which grabbed her a painful twist.

"Ouch. That really hurts, sweetheart." The slurred voice of a man whimpered.

Robin turned around to glare at the man who had grabbed her. There was nothing particularly special about him, except that his breath reeked of alcohol.

"Say, why is a hot girl like you wandering alone?" The man said. "How about spending some time with me, sweetie?" He added while leaning closer to Robin.

Before Robin could deliver a stinging retort (or perhaps make the guy suffer extreme pain), something yanked the man backwards.

Robin's eyes widened.

It was none other than Portgas. D. Ace.

"Why don't you go hit on someone who might actually say yes to you?" His voice was friendly on the surface yet the threat laced underneath was still quite prominent. The drunk man mumbled something in-audible and walked away.

"I'm deeply sorry for my guest's lack of manners." He apologized. He was a handsome man with messy black hair, freckles and excellent physique. Any girl would have gawked at him if they were in the blessed position of being addressed by him. However, Robin had been in the company of a certain handsome demon more than she would have liked. Pretty boys just didn't have that kind of effect on her.

"It's quite alright. He's drunk anyway."

"I'm Portgas. D. Ace, by the way." He added with a smile that could've gotten any girl swooning. Except the girl in front of him.

"I'm Nico Robin."

"You mean _the_ Nico Robin?"

Robin couldn't help but smile. To the society that was oblivious to the fact that she was an assassin, she was an accomplished archeologist. Robin was actually a history expert in truth, so she had thought that an archeologist could pass as her cover.

"The one and only. But why would someone like you know of me?" The fact that a gangster would know of her went against the logics in Robin's mind. Shouldn't gangsters only know about alcohol, fancy cars and cheap women?

"Even though I'm a gangster, I still like history. In fact, I pride myself to be... quite fluent in history." He smiled as though Robin was missing on an inside-joke.

"Really?"

"Yes. In fact, I am in possession of an ancient relic. It's nothing grand, really. But would you like to see it?"

"That'll be great."

"I keep it in another storage house of mine. I'll drive us there. If that's okay with you."

"Sure." Robin smiled. She had been pondering on how to get him alone, but it turned out there was no need for such schemes. He had offered her a perfect chance to end his life.

She followed Ace outside towards where a flaming-red sports car was parked.  
"After you." Ace held open the door for her.

"Thanks." Robin said as she climbed in. She took in the sight of the red leather car seats.

_Seriously? What's up with this guy and red?_

"It's not far from here." Ace informed as he started up the car's engine. It gave a low rumbling sound like the pur of a cat.

"So tell me about this relic of yours." Robin asked. Even though she's on a mission, she could never deny herself the chance of seeing historical objects. Since history was one of the few things she enjoyed.

"It's a dagger used for sacrificial rituals, I think."

"You mean the type which ancient priests use to cut out virgins' still-beating hearts while the girls slowly bleed to death?"

"Um... Yeah." Ace gave Robin a weird look like she just grew a third eye.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing."

The two of them then started talking about random things, life, books, movies, etc. Robin found it weird that someone like him would ever become the leader of a street gang. So far, he did not fit any of Robin's descriptions of a gangster. And the way he smiled like he knew something she didn't only added to the un-settling feeling she had.

_Just who is this guy exactly?_

Robin studied him closely. Ace who was suddenly aware of this threw her a supposedly-dazzling smile. Robin ignored it and turned her gaze somewhere outside the car window.

"Wow. You didn't swoon."

"Why would I _swoon_?"

"Most girls tend to do that when I smile at them. And that is a scientifically proven fact." Ace added with a confident smirk.

"Show-off."

Ace turned his attention back to the road and laughed.

-xXx-

The drive didn't take long. Ace parked the car in front of a small storage house and stepped out of the car with Robin. He pulled a key out of one of his pockets and jammed it into the key hole. After giving it a few turns, Ace pushed open the door. He held it open and gestured for Robin to enter.

The walls of the storage house looked thick enough to block out additional cries for help. And no one would be able to smell the rotting corpse easily, so she might not need to get rid of the body.

Perfect.

Robin was in no mood to search for a place discreet enough to let a bunch of flesh and sinew rot in peace.

Robin entered the doorway with Ace at her heels.

The inside of the storage house was shrouded in shadows as confined places tend to be at night. Ace walked over to a switch on the wall and flicked it on. There was practically nothing in it except for a safe imbedded into one of the walls.

Ace was still facing the wall. Robin seized the chance to retrieve her knife from the strap on her leg. It had been hidden by the ridiculously short hem of the black dress she wore.

An instinctive scowl occupied Robin's face as she remembered Law's comment on her attire. Or lack of, that is. Robin had chosen this dress strategically in case she would have to resort to using seduction. But it seemed there was no need for that.

Robin freed the weapon from its binds and held it in her hand while quietly approaching the street gang leader. Just when she was about sink the knife deep into his back, Ace suddenly spun around with an amused smirk.  
What Robin saw made her mouth hung open in shock and nearly drop her weapon.

His eyes, were scarlet.

Ace smirked.

-xXx-

The impatience building in Law's chest was beginning to get too prominent to ignore. Robin had been gone for an hour with no signs of return. And he was starting to feel tired of just leaning against a street lamp.

He shot a warning look at the pack of young women which had gathered to ogle at him. He was by no means in the mood for more irritation. Which seemed to be the only thing the ever-expanding group of his "fan girls" was capable of giving.

With her skills, Robin could have finished the job within fifteen minutes.

_What's taking her so long?_

Law decided to do a quick surveillance of the souls in the storage house. He searched for the familiar essence of Robin's soul but resulted in failure.

_She left? Where could she go?_

An un-pleasant feeling began to settle in the pit of Law's stomach. He expanded his sensory range and found Robin's soul not far from the storage house. But the essence of her soul felt as though she was nervous, anxious even.

_Robin had never been anxious during her missions before._

Law felt that something was certainly not right. But what?

Suddenly, Law sensed another presence next to Robin's. And worst of all, he recognized it.

Only one thought coursed through Law's mind.

_Oh, shit._

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please leave a review! I really appreciate it. I know this chapter isn't as good as the previous ones. (To me, at least.) Sorry about that. So would you like me to continue? Please tell me!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all for the support! I can't believe I actually finished this chapter in two days. Now that's a record-breaker for me. I made this chapter slightly longer than the previous ones. I guess I kind of felt bad about leaving you guys with a cliffhanger on the previous chapter. (See? I'm not evil.)

Please leave a review! (They really keep me motivated.)

It took me another day to upload this because I accidentally deleted the original file on my iPod. Good thing I kept a back-up file in my Gmail.

Are any of you currently writing a LawxRobin fic? If so, please post it on FF as soon as possible! I'd really like to read someone else's LawxRobin fic.

(Warning: This chapter might suck really badly. I'm not very confident in this chapter.)

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

Ace smiled at Robin in a way which sent unpleasant shivers down her spine.

"Why don't you put that down? You know it's useless against me." He said lazily.

Robin had regained her composure and was now trying to come up with a plan to save herself. Even though she knew her knife would be just about as useful as a toothpick in her current situation, she still held it in front of her with a fighting stance.

_So much for thinking this would be an easy job._

She had to admit, her chances weren't good. At all.

"You should be quite familiar with my species, right? I can smell the essence of another demon on you. So you should know what I want."

"An idiot and a psychopath would want different things. So it depends on which one you are." Robin shot back almost instinctively. She then cursed herself inwardly. She should be keeping him distracted rather than insulting him. But two years of conversing with an annoying (To Robin, at least) demon has given her a sharp tongue. Robin waited for Ace to advance towards her or show signs of anger. But what he really did took her by surprise.

He did the exact opposite. Ace threw back his head and laughed.

"You're quite unique. And fierce, I might add. Although I _would_ like to keep talking to you, it'd be a waste if I let a soul like yours get away." He actually sounded sorry when he said that. An apologetic smile graced his face. Robin's body tensed all over when she saw pointed canines beyond his smiling lips.

_Now that can't be good._

Before Robin could even react, Ace lunged forward with incredible speed. Knowing that she won't be able to dodge him in time, she braced herself for the pain.

Almost at the same time, Robin saw something flash from the corners of her eyes and felt a strong arm clasp around her waist. The next thing she knew, she was brought airborne for a split second and had landed at the opposite side of the storage house safely at the next second. The speed of it made her head spin slightly.

Once Robin had recovered from the shock and dizziness, she looked up at the person who had pulled her from a demise.

"... Tra-Trafalgar?"

The addressed demon released his hold on her waist and stepped in front of her. Blocking her from Ace. His alert eyes fixed on the demon at the other side of the storage house. Ace turned around to face them with a smile, his mood seemingly un-effected by Law's successful rescue attempt. In fact, he looked as though he had anticipated the arrival of the other demon.

Ace smirked, "Well, well. Long time no see, Trafalgar. How long has it been? A hundred years, perhaps?"

"Two hundred years." Law corrected, still not taking his eyes off Ace.

"Really? I had no idea it had been that long since we last saw each other."

"Too bad it didn't last longer."

"True. I had hoped that I won't be seeing your ugly mug for another hundred years."

"You should be admiring my _ugly mug_ right now, you know. Since it's way more pleasant on the eyes than your pathetic excuse of a face could ever hope to be."

"You're still as friendly as ever, _Traffy_."

"And you're still a bastard."

"You know him?" Robin asked Law once she had recovered her voice.

"Sort of. But not really." Robin received yet another one of Law's cryptic answers.

"Thanks for the explanation. I understand so much better now." Robin replied sarcastically.

Law turned to her with an expression that would have made others think he had just saw a herd of cows fall from the sky.

"A demon tried to kill you. I saved your life. And now you're getting on _my_ case?" He said with an incredulous tone.

Ace chose to burst out laughing at that moment. "She's the only human who dares to talk like that to an all-powerful demon like you, eh?"

Law turned to him with a sour expression, "I'll bet she had sent some biting comments your way tonight. Or you wouldn't be enjoying this so much."

"Oh, she certainly did." Ace said with an amused expression. "Would you mind stepping outside for a while, Robin? I'd like to speak to Trafalgar alone for a second." He added.

Both Law and Robins' eye brows immediately shot up. Both of them were finding it hard to believe that Ace had really voiced what he had said.

"On first name basis now, are you? And I thought you were after her soul." Law remarked, unable to keep the challenge out of his voice.

"Easy now, Trafalgar. I only want to talk." Ace said. Yet the challenge was quite evident in his tone.

Robin stared at the two demons. Was it just her or logic really didn't apply to these two? So far, none of the things which happened made any sense to Robin. But she still exited the storage house and waited outside so the guys could "talk". If they decided that they wanted to settle things the "barbaric" way, she did not want to be caught in the middle.

She gazed at the night sky. Something she didn't have the leisure to do in a while.

_What could they possibly have to say to each other? Hopefully it won't concern me, I've had quite enough with demons for tonight already._

-xXx-

"Alright, shoot." Law said with narrowed eyes.

"I'm going to let her leave with you. Unscathed. Since you made a contract with her." Ace added with a slightly bitter tone. As though he very much hated the fact that Law had a contract with Robin. At this, Law's eye brow went up. There must have been a catch or he wouldn't be letting them off so easily.

"I thought it was her soul you wanted."

"I changed my mind. But don't feel too happy yet. Now, it's _her_ I want."

"I don't understand." Law said, though he had a vague idea of where this conversation was leading.

"You're pretty slow, aren't you? Then I'll put it to you simply. I'll make her fall for me completely. Just a warning though, you'll be seeing me regrettably often from now on." Ace said matter-of-factly with an obnoxious (In Law's point of view) smirk fixed on his face.

An ill-humored laugh rose from Law's throat. "You don't know her very well if you think she'd ever fall for someone."

"And you're saying that because you know her so well?" Ace taunted, "It seems to me that she's keeping you at a distance."

It was the truth. But not something which Law would admit in Ace's face.  
"I'll be seeing you soon, Trafalgar. Keep Robin safe for me when I'm not around, all right?" Ace said with a wink and erupted into a column of roaring red flames before dissolving thoroughly.

"Show-off." Law muttered.

To Law, Ace was still the bastard/show-off he had been two hundred years ago. If anything, he had become even more annoying.

-xXx-

"What did he say?" Robin asked for the up-teenth time during their walk back to her house.

Law had refused to say anything regarding the conversation between Ace and himself when he stepped out of the storage house. And Robin was no where near relenting with her questions.

"What does it have to do with you?" Law asked irritably. The conversation he just had with Ace still weighed on his mind. He needed to think. But it seemed Robin wasn't going to grant him that luxury until he answered her question.

"It has everything to do with me. He tried to kill me, I need to know everything so I can be prepared."

"He changed his mind about killing you." Law finally said. His voice sounds bitter even to his own ears.

"He... changed his mind? What do you mean? And why?" It was the last thing Robin had expected Ace to say.

"I already answered your question. Now be quiet so I can think." The numerous questions Robin threw at him were making his head hurt.

Suddenly, Robin stopped walking all-together.

Law sighed and turned to her, his voice colored with exhaustion, "And what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm not moving an inch until you tell me why he relented. He _must_ be up to something."

_Well, she got that right._ Law thought tiredly. Normally, he'd be able to humor her with an array of taunts and obnoxious comments to make her keep walking. But he didn't possess the spare mind to do that right now.

"Would you _please_ stop being so difficult and come along?"

_"Please"? Now that really doesn't sound like Law._

"No." Robin knew she was acting like a spoilt child now but she needed to know what that (crazy) demon was up to.

"I'll drag you if I have to." Now at the end of his already-thin patience, Law threatened with narrowed eyes.

_Now that sounds like Law._

"You wouldn't dare." Robin challenged, though she took an instinctive step back. The look he gave her told her otherwise. Oh, he most definitely would.

Robin started walking again.

Robin decided to leave him alone. For now, at least.

-xXx-

The annoying ringing of the seldom-used door bell of Robin's front door suddenly started ringing purposefully when the sun had not even exacted its full glory yet.

Three days had passed since Robin's encounter with Ace. During these three days Law had remained stubbornly within Robin's vicinity despite her protests. Although she might not realize it herself, the company of the male demon no longer irked her.

Robin climbed out of her bed, feeling slightly irritated by the sound of her door bell. She had finally been able to fall asleep when dusk approached, and now she had lost whatever slim chances she had of getting some sleep. She opened her door to form a small slit and peered outside.

"Surprise! Did you miss me?" An energetic voice greeted her. It was Nami. Her ginger hair fell all the way to her waist in a billow of orange. And on her face she wore a bubbly (And slightly sly) smile.

Robin smiled and opened the door. She was about to greet her when she was tackled with a bear hug.

"I missed you so much, Robin. So how are you?"

"It's great to see you too, Nami." Robin replied with one of her rare sincere smiles. The type which only Nami could draw from her. They went into Robin's kitchen for coffee and chatted about how their lives had been in the last month which Nami had been in a fashion show in Paris. Nami was now a famous fashion model desired by many fashion magazines. So her life was naturally filled with things she could gossip about. Robin told Nami everything which happened in the past month. Excluding the things regarding demons and her contracts.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Nami suddenly said after she had been complaining about a certain disagreeable fashion magazine editor for ten minutes. "There's a party tonight where fashion models can get acquainted with designers and editors. But other people can come, too. Can you come? Please?"

"Um... Fashion models, alcohol and men don't really mix well in my mind, Nami."

Nami laughed, "It's more of a formal party. So I don't think what ever you're thinking could happen."

Robin looked at Nami's smile and sighed. It was so hard to refuse her with the expectant smile she wore.

"Then... I guess I can go."

"Awesome! Oh, no! I'm so late! I'm supposed to meet up with a designer now. I'll see you tonight!" Nami gave Robin a quick hug and left a beautifully decorated invitation on the single-person dining table in Robin's kitchen. She then bolted out of Robin's front door with impressive speed. Robin stifled a laughter at her friend's somewhat childish actions. She picked up the invitation and examined it closely. The invitation had the time and destination of the party printed on it in fancy, graceful letters.

"So you're going?"

"Yeah. I mean it's Nami we're talking about... I can't quite refuse her." Robin turned around to face Law who had (once again) popped out of no where. Through the three days she spent in Law's company, she had finally gotten used to Law's knack of appearing randomly.

"Then I'll be going with you. And I don't care if half of the world's population follow me."

Robin had been expecting that so she didn't say anything.

"It's a formal party, though. Do you have a tuxedo?"

Law's lips curled to form his trademark sadistic smirk. "I'm a demon. I'll manage."

"I don't doubt that." Robin said and tried not to think about the different ways Law could get a tuxedo. Illegally, of course. Or it wouldn't be the "Trafalgar Law way" of doing things.

-xXx-

The ball room where the party was held was more crowded than Robin had originally anticipated. But she still found Nami among the crowd quite easily.  
"You came!" Nami said happily as she approached Robin with a smile.

"I _did_ say I would come." Robin replied with a smile in her voice. She had put on one of those few gowns she owned which she hardly ever wears. The gown Robin wore today were one of her less revealing ones. By Law's request. It fitted and complemented her form perfectly. It was midnight-blue and off-the-shoulders. Among the brightly-colored gowns of the other female guests, her dress stood out greatly.

After Nami left to get herself acquainted with a famous editor, Robin retreated to a corner in the ball room and observed the guests. She felt much more comfortable in a dark corner than she did when Nami introduced her to famous designers and models.

"All alone? Where's your friend?" A voice which was more than familiar to Robin suddenly spoke up.

Robin turned to face Law who was dressed very handsomely in a tuxedo. He was radiating a rakish and mysterious charm. Although other girls would have been able to sense the pheromones Law was giving off easily, Robin was missing it completely, like usual.

"She's being social now. It's part of her job, it can't be helped. And what took you so long?"

"A mob of girls tried to corner me. Literally."

_That actually doesn't sound like a lie..._

"Uh... I see."

Robin's eyes scanned the crowd of people dancing and chatting. Suddenly her eyes caught sight of a familiar male silhouette with messy black hair and freckles who was talking to a muscular man with green hair. Robin felt Law tense next to her.

_This could not be happening._

Before Robin could do anything to conceal herself, the man turned around and saw her. Robin spat out a chain of cuss words at herself inwardly for not acting sooner.

Portgas. D. Ace waved and smiled at her as though they were old friends.  
"Hey, Robin." He said cheerily.

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it! I guess we all know who the Moss Dude is, right? He'll appear in the next chapter though I'm not sure what I should do with him. I think this chapter was the longest chapter I've written so far. Wow.

School starts for me on 7/24 (I'll be a ninth-grader!) so I won't be able to update as often, but I won't drop this story. You can count on that.

As always, please review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! It's a comfort to know that my writing doesn't suck. I can't believe I actually finished five chapters in a matter of weeks!

By the way, I'll be setting up my new deviantart account so I'll be a bit busy to write new chapters. But I'll post as soon as I get one done. Please review! (They mean a lot to me. It's funny how happy reviews can make me.)

P.S. Law wasn't wearing his hat at the party. (Robin forced him to, since it was a _formal_ party.)

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

Robin couldn't remember the last time so many undesired things had happened to her in such a short amount of time. In any case, her mood had taken a drastic drop when she saw the demon who had tried to take her life three days ago. Even though Law _did_ say Ace had changed his mind about killing her, Robin was not feeling very comfortable under his gaze while wearing a dress which was off-the-shoulders. If she had to be under his gaze, Robin would prefer it if her neck wasn't bared.

Robin greeted the very enthusiastic-looking Ace with a feeble wave in return of his overbearing friendliness. She was half-praying that it would be their last interaction tonight, but luck seemed to be completely against her. When Ace made a beckoning motion with his hands, Robin felt as though someone was choking her. After she stifled a groan, Robin started to walk towards him unwillingly. It would be troublesome if he made a scene. According to Robin's observations, Portgas. D. Ace was someone who wouldn't scruple to do anything (even in public) to get what he wants.

"So you're going to talk to him?" Law questioned with raised eye brows while following her closely.

"I haven't got a choice. I'd rather not make a scene here." Robin answered in a hushed voice. Law didn't say anything in return but Robin could tell he didn't like the idea of her being anywhere near Ace. Even when they were still at a distance, Law and Ace were already pelting each other with glares.

"Robin! What a coincidence!" Ace exclaimed when they reached him.

"Hello, Portgas." Robin greeted dully.

"And Law, what a fine surprise." Ace turned to Law with an un-complimenting look.

"Indeed it is." Law said in a voice that was as friendly on the surface as it was deadly underneath.

"I believe both of you haven't met Roronoa Zoro." Ace said while gesturing at the man with green hair. The man gave both of them a curt nod. Unsmiling.  
It struck Robin that "Unfriendly" would definitely be a trait of this green-haired man.

"He's also known as Moss Head, for obvious reasons." Ace added with a mischievous smirk.

"I'd like it if you use my name instead." Zoro said in a low, almost warning voice.

"Moss Head it is, then." Law said with a smirk. Robin could've sworn she saw a flame spark in Zoro's eyes.

"He's just kidding." Robin said hastily. The so-called "Roronoa Zoro" looked like a man with a short temper. And it would be unwise to let them start a fight in public. Zoro gave a grunt and didn't say anything else.

Just when the atmosphere surrounding this strange group of four was starting to get uncomfortable due to two male demons glaring daggers at each other while the other two individuals stood aside mutely, a soft music coming from the dance floor gained their attention. Guests were starting to dance slowly to the music in pairs. Before Robin could even voice her intentions to excuse herself from dancing, Ace had already taken her hand and was half-guiding, half-towing her towards the dance floor.

Robin sighed, she knew Ace wasn't going to let her sneak back to her dark corner at this rate. Robin thought she might as well play along, perhaps he'd let her off once he's satisfied.

"So, Robin," Ace started.

"Hmm?"

"I'm really sorry about trying to... kill you the last time we met. Can you forgive me?" He sounded so sincere that Robin's jaw nearly dropped in surprise. She had thought that demons were incapable of sounding honest, or maybe that was simply because the demon she was familiar with never did. The way Law speaks would have made anyone think he had an ulterior motive. And not a good one at that.

"Um... Robin? Are you listening?"

"Oh, sorry." Realizing she had been lost in thought, Robin quickly regained her composure.

"I was asking whether or not you can forgive me?" Ace asked with imploring eyes.

"Er... Sure. If you promise never to do that to me again." Ace gave her a charming smile which made a few girls dancing around them trip over their own feet. If Robin had not been feeling uncomfortable in the arms of someone she did not really know, she would have found the scene quite comical.  
"Mind if I cut in?" A cool voice calmly asked and took (snatched) Robin's hand from Ace. Both Ace and Robin turned to find none other than Trafalgar Law with a somewhat malicious smile on his face. His appearance on the dance floor caused a small commotion on the dance floor as well.

"Not at all." Ace replied with narrowed eyes and a tone which suggested he minded it very much indeed. He made to leave the dance floor silently after letting go of Robin unwillingly, but a group of models who were hanging at the edge of the dance floor swooped in to intercept him.

"What did he want?" Law asked as he grinned in a not-very-good way when he saw Ace surrounded by a bunch of unrelenting girls.

"He wanted me to forgive him for nearly killing me."

"Is that so?" Law put on a slightly amused smirk which led to more commotion on the dance floor. Robin rolled her eyes.

Robin was never a very social person, which is why she was finding it hard to concentrate on the music and the dancing. The music seemed too loud, the room was over-crowded and she was painfully aware of the hand Law placed on her shoulder and waist. Due to that, she found herself making the wrong moves and colored with embarrassment when ever that occurred.

When the first song ended, she quickly fled the dance floor, leaving Law alone to fend off the numerous girls which had crowded around him.

Once she was free from the dance floor, Robin found that she enjoyed watching both Ace and Law looking helplessly surrounded by girls. And the accusing look of pure resentment Law shot at her only made the scene more funny. Just when Robin was starting to consider whether or not she should go to Law's aid, a voice spoke up, "You know he's a demon, right?"

"Huh?" Robin turned around to find Roronoa Zoro standing next to her. And it seemed he had no intentions of helping out his friend.

"The man who came with you. You know he's a demon, right?"

"Of course. But how would you know?" Robin was slightly surprised by how blunt this man is. After all, the existence of demons wasn't a common knowledge. Zoro cast her a side-ways glance, "I'd recognize my own kind, wouldn't I?"

"You're a demon, too?!"

"Yeah."

Robin had a sudden feeling that Fate was toying with her. In a bad way.

"So... What are you doing here?" Robin inquired. It seemed to her that this green-haired demon did not want to be at this party anymore than she did.

"Ace made me come. He said there was someone he wanted to meet here. I'm guessing it's you."

"How did he know I'd be here?" Robin asked. Trying to sound less freaked out by what she had just heard than she really was. If Ace had really known she'd be here, the surprised act he had put on was quite well-played.

Zoro shrugged. He smirked unpleasantly. He seemed to be enjoying the view of two troubled demons even more than Robin.

The fact that Ace knew she'd be here had rattled Robin deeply, and she felt an urgent need for fresh air and solitude or else she'd lose it completely.

She turned to Zoro, "Tell Trafalgar I went to the terrace if he asks."

He didn't say anything but merely nodded. It seemed that Roronoa Zoro wasn't just unfriendly, he was also a man of few words. Not that Robin was complaining though, she preferred people who generally keep quiet.

Robin picked up her pace as she headed for the terrace. She had just about had enough of being stuffed in a crowded room with three peculiar male demons.

-xXx-

The cool night wind was every bit as welcoming and refreshing as Robin had hoped. And the clear view of the moon provided by the terrace was just a bonus.

"All alone?" A female voice suddenly rang out from behind her. Robin whipped around to face the owner of the voice. A pretty young woman with green hair and amber eyes stood at the entrance of the terrace. For a moment, Robin thought she saw the spring green dress the woman was wearing flicker and waver like candle light. But before she could make sure, the dress became solid once more.

"Sort of." Robin answered uneasily. For unknown reasons, this woman in front of her made her wary. The smile which appeared on the woman's face made the hair on Robin's neck stand on end.

"Really? Your demon really isn't doing a fine job protecting you."

At that, Robin felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach.

_She's a demon, too?!_

Robin's eyes widened when she saw the woman's dress flicker and melt away, revealing the woman to have wings and bird feet. Seeing Robin's shocked expression, the woman snickered.

"The dress is just an illusion, sweetie. To fool humans like you."

Robin was willing to accept that she was insane if it meant this demon was an imagination. But no such luck, the woman flapped her wings and gave Robin a look which Robin recognized in the eyes of a cat ready to pounce.

The demon swooped down on Robin, Robin narrowly dodged it by jumping aside at the last second. The demon hissed. Adrenaline surged through Robin, making her senses sharper. Robin found herself being aware of every little detail of her surroundings. Ready to fight, Robin reached under her dress and pulled out a knife. She always kept a knife strapped to her leg. Occupational habit is what Robin called it. Even though a knife may not be much of a weapon when dealing with a demon, but even a demon would hesitate when someone is brandishing a sharp object at it.

The demon snarled at the sight of the knife. Just when Robin thought the demon would go for a second attack, it was as though an invisible blade had cut her, a gash spurting red appeared on the demon's chest and she dropped to the ground. The demon wailed in anguish and turned her hate-filled eyes toward the entrance of the terrace. Robin's eyes turned to it to find Law with his blade drawn, Ace with a fire ball ready in his palm and Zoro carrying two unsheathed swords stood in the doorway.

Ace hurried to Robin to make sure she wasn't hurt, Law strode over to the dying demon while Zoro leaned against the door frame looking bored. Robin had to tell Ace several times she was fine before he was convinced Robin wasn't in mortal danger.

"Did you come by yourself?" Law demanded.

The demon looked up at him with disdain, "Trafalgar Law, a fugitive of the Royal Court, now serves a human? Oh, how low you have stooped."

"Do not test me, _Monet_." Law narrowed his eyes and sneered her name. "Did the Royal Court send you? Answer me or I'll make it even more painful for you."

_Royal Court?_ Robin thought, Law had never mentioned such a thing to her.

Monet gave him a look of pure resentment, "Yes. And they are determined to make you pay once they find you. They didn't think you'd show up so fast for _that human_, or they'd have sent a whole legion after her. Or worse, they'd have sent the CP9." Monet said as she enjoyed the impact the news was having on Law. Monet gave one last sneering laugh before she dissolved into a bunch of crumbling ash. A cold wind picked up and swept away the ash, leaving nothing in its place.

Robin looked at Law, the look on his face made it very clear that they are in _big_ trouble. He turned to her, "Are you hurt?"

"No." Though after the adrenaline rush was gone, an empty, tired feeling was beginning to sink in.

Ace walked over to Law from his position next to Robin and gave Law a hard look, "So they've caught up with you."

"They won't get this close again." Law said without looking at him.

"It's obvious they're going to target Robin." Zoro stated.

"She won't be safe with you." Ace said somewhat accusingly.

Robin had no idea who they meant by "they", but they were undoubtedly troublesome enough to put Law's mouth into a grim line.

Law said nothing to reply Ace but merely told Robin that she had to go home right away. Robin wasn't in much mood to return to the party anyway, so she did as she was told. Before she left, she turned to see Ace and Law engaged in a heated argument. Robin thought she heard her name appear in their argument, but she did not stop to confirm it.

-xXx-

Sleep did not come easily that night. But that was no surprise. Robin's slumber was filled with disturbing dreams of flesh-eating woman with wings and bird feet. So she was _almost_ glad when Law woke her up by picking up the bundle on her bed which consists of Robin and her bunched up quilt (due to her tossing and turning in her sleep) and dumping them on the floor.

Almost.

Which was why Law received a lot of abusive comments on his character as a token of thanks from the person wrapped in the bundle.

"If you had wanted to wake me up, you could have tried calling me." Robin told Law resentfully as she drank her coffee after she got over the shock of being awakened by being dumped onto the floor.

"I tried. But you didn't move. Not even a little bit. You just continued gasping in your sleep, sounds like a nightmare by the looks of it." then with a sadistic smirk, "You know, for someone who's having trouble sleeping, you're a heavy sleeper."

Robin shot him a glare then glowered at her coffee.

"I might have to forbid you to attend social events."

"Why?"

"Because every time you go to them, you end up nearly becoming the dinner of another demon."

"And you're mad?"

"How would you feel if someone steals your dinner-takeout after you've waited in line for ages?"

"Point taken. Did you just call me a dinner-takeout?"

"Maybe."

Law walked towards the kitchen entrance from his spot for leaning against the fridge. " Get dressed quickly. Wear comfortable clothes and meet me in your garage once you're done." Law told Robin over his shoulder as he was about to exit the kitchen.

Robin didn't have a car. Because of that, her garage is practically empty. But Robin couldn't think of a productive use for such a big space, so she had left it the way it was.

"Garage? Why?"

Law turned around, "Obviously, I'm going to train you."

Robin nearly dropped her cup.

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope you guys like it! The LawxRobin won't be happening until later chapters but we're getting there.

It's so hard to write anything romantic about Zoro! *howls*

Please review! Or I'll make Robin kill you. (Just kidding!)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter is a little short, but the work-load of a ninth grader is crazy! I don't even have that much time to draw anymore. That really sucks, since I've been brimming with inspiration lately. I also have a lot of ideas for writing future fics. But I don't have time to do them justice yet. But eventually, I will.

Please leave a review!

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

Robin wasn't sure what she had been expecting before she entered her garage while wearing her most comfortable clothes. But she was sure it definitely wouldn't be what she was seeing. She simply couldn't understand why a supposedly-super-powerful-and-creepy demon was engaged in a friendly tussle with a furry white dog. And in her garage, no less. The scene was bizarre, to put it mildly.

_Just when you think you've seen it all, life throws something like this in your face._

"_What_ are you doing?"

"Oh. You're here." Law said, sounding a little disappointed while he rubbed the dog behind its ears. The dog wagged its tail happily and gave a few friendly barks when it saw Robin standing in the doorway.

"Where did you get it?" Robin was praying that Law didn't raid a pet shop simply because he was "bored". Law had done a few insane things in the past when he got "bored", so Robin did not put this past him.

"Bepo is a stray."

_He actually named it?!_

"You named it?!"

"He's just a dog. You're over reacting." Law said defensively.

"He?"

"Well, obviously Bepo is a _he_. Can't you see?"

After she understood what Law had said, she colored a little. Robin felt like an idiot, arguing about a dog's gender with a demon in her own garage.

"Er... Oh. What is it doing here?"

"_He_ had been wandering the streets around here for a while. So I thought I'd let him in. Didn't you notice him on the streets?"

"Sorry if I couldn't recognize a stray dog on the streets. But why did you let him (Robin was careful to refer to the dog as a _him_ now) in?" Robin replied sarcastically.

Law shrugged, "He didn't have anywhere else to go." The way he said it made it sound like letting a stray dog into your house was an everyday-thing.

Tired of arguing with him, Robin sighed. She decided to settle this with him later. "Didn't you say you were going to train me?"

Law stood up from his sitting position and dusted off his coat which was basically littered with dog fur. Bepo happily bounded off to the other side of the garage and plopped himself down while eyeing them expectantly. Law reached into his coat and pulled out a rather plain-looking dagger and handed it to Robin. Robin raised her eye brow, the dagger had an ordinary-looking blade and a simple black handle. If it was supposed to have some kind of magic capability, its appearance had hid the fact quite well.

"The blade of this dagger is mixed with Sea Prism Stone, so it can deal a good amount of damage to demons. I'd like you to carry it with you at all times." Law explained.

"Sea Prism Stone?"

"It's a type of stone which deals a lot of damage to ability-based demons like me and Ace. But don't you start getting any ideas." Law stated firmly once he spotted Robin's smirk.

"Why didn't you give it to me sooner?"

"Sea Prism Stone is extremely rare, so why don't you start showing some appreciation. I went to Hell and back just to get it."

"Literally?"

"No. I have my resources but it's still extremely hard."

Robin swung the dagger in a wide ark to test it out in her hands. The dagger narrowly missed Law's face. He ducked and gave her a dirty look. Robin didn't bother to hide the amused smile which danced onto her face.

"You can put that away for now." Law said in a warning voice.

Robin made a show of putting her dagger down reluctantly.

"The dagger would make your chances fairer when you go up against a demon. Fighting a demon isn't that different from fighting a human, you just have to watch out for their abilities."

"Like fireballs?" Robin suggested when the thought of a certain freckled demon popped into her mind.

"Yeah... So you'll need better reflexes. Which is why I'll need to train you."

"I have good reflexes." Robin countered. She took pride in her abilities as an assassin.

"But not good enough. I'll fight you hand-to-hand, but I won't hold back my speed or strength. Understand?"

Robin nodded grimly, she had a sudden thought that this training would involve lots of broken bones and cerebral concussions on her part. And she was none too thrilled about that.

"You won't kill me, right?"

"I'll try not to." The sadistic smirk occupying his face when he said this did not comfort Robin.

"Thanks. Now that's reassuring. I'll bet you can't wait to kill me and cook my corpse so you can feed it to your new dog."

"You are mistaken. I would not have bothered to cook it. Dogs can eat raw meat, you know." Law replied with a bone-chilling smile.

"Then you'll get the blood all over the floors. And possibly on the dog as well, you'll have to give him a bath then." Robin gave Law a morbid smile of her own.

"I'll make sure to clean it up before it dries. Since I wouldn't want to risk getting the blood on my coat. Blood stains are a pain to clean."

Bepo suddenly started barking impatiently, as though urging them to start.

"He's right. We can continue our... debate later, if you want to." Law said.

Robin tied her hair up into a ponytail to keep her hair from disturbing her vision while fighting. She turned to face Law.

"Hit me." Law said with a straight face.

"Wow. You actually told me to hit you."

"I'm serious."

After hesitating for a second, Robin struck out at Law's face. Law ducked and aimed a fist at her stomach. Robin had been expecting that, she twisted so that the hit wouldn't fall true, but only narrowly. Law had not exaggerated his speed. She threw a kick at his face which Law dodged by jumping aside. Before Robin could regain her footing, Law charged towards her and hit several of her pressure points. Robin fell to the ground and her vision went black.

-xXx-

Law looked down at Robin's unconscious figure a bit worriedly. Perhaps he had hit her a little too hard. No matter how tough she may seem, she was still a human. Law often forgot this since humans tend to be weak and fragile, yet Robin possessed none of these traits. He grazed his hands across the places which he had hit to undo some of the damage. Healing was one of Law's many abilities, so she should be able to wake up after a short while. But for the time being, he would have to wait.

Law sat down next to Robin and folded his legs elegantly. Bepo trotted over to where he was sitting and began nudging at Robin with his paw. When she didn't move, he looked at Law imploringly. Law laughed, "You won't be getting a reaction out of her that soon, Bepo."

Now with nothing to occupy his attentions, he turned his gaze to Robin's face. A slightly sad expression had taken her face, softening the sharpness of her face which was usually brought on by the sharp flash in her azure eyes. A few strands of midnight-black hair rested softly against her smooth, pale neck. The sad look on her face made Law think of a flower standing alone in a pouring rain. Sad, tragic but beautiful. Wasn't that exactly what Robin was? She had nearly been slaughtered and had witnessed a gruesome ritual, but she still remained strong and beautiful.

_What am I thinking?!_

Law shook his head to get rid of these unbidden thoughts. He didn't know what had suddenly got him thinking about such foolish things, but it would have to stop. The feeling of not knowing his own mind, Law didn't like it. It must have been because he hadn't eaten a soul for years so he was craving for her undoubtably-delicious soul. It had to be, he was a demon of all things! And demons didn't possess such nonsense-like things called feelings. Feelings were for those weak-minded humans. Just when he had arrived at these thoughts, Robin's eyes fluttered open.

"Why do you look so serious? Did you break my limbs or something?"

"Of course not." Law snapped, he was not in a very fine mood since he had just realized this woman in front of him was having certain effects on him. Though it was not her fault, he couldn't help but be mad at her a little.

"Fine. Can we continue?" Robin asked as she sat up slowly and tested out the places which Law had hit. Upon finding no stiffness in them, she stood up and got into a fighting stance once more.

"It won't be that easy this time." Robin challenged.

"We'll see."

Robin threw a punch at Law. He ducked and aimed a hit at her stomach. Robin twisted out of the way and came back with a hit at Law's head. Law jumped side-ways to avoid it.

They continued to grapple long into the night. With Robin being knocked unconscious several times, but that did nothing to stop her. One of them was motivated by the desire to become strong enough to fight demons, the other was motivated by the desire to clear his mind of distracting thoughts.

What ever these weird notions were, Law promised himself that he would figure them out and get rid of them for good. It shouldn't be too much trouble. After all, when he wanted something, he would stop at nothing to get it. And in this case, he wanted to figure out the weird feelings he was having regarding a certain enchanting female assassin.

-To be continued-

A/N: I'm actually not sure why I added Bepo. Oh, well. I pictured him as a large furry white dog. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I don't have time to write long chapters but I'll try to keep the updates as frequent as possible.

Please review! (They motivate me greatly.)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate it.

I'm thinking about writing a LawxRobin or AcexRobin story that takes place at Weston College (from Kuroshitsuji). Should it be LawxRobin or AcexRobin? And which houses should they be in? Tell me what you think in your reviews. So please leave a review!

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

The night had been quiet, unlike Law's turmoil of thoughts. He had been sitting at Robin's dinner table long after she had went to bed. Trying to figure out the weird thoughts (a.k.a feelings) he's been having.

Law hated surprises and things that weren't planned. And these so-called "feelings" would definitely fit Law's description of "unplanned". Before he made a contract with Robin, he had made sure to plan everything perfectly. Or so he thought.

At first, he had thought that Robin would lose her mind or fall into depression after the gruesome event, and wouldn't live for very long. Law thought he would have her soul in no time. Robin had thrown a complete surprise in his face by doing the opposite. Instead of going insane, she became a professional assassin. Go figure.

Not many things could throw the demon off his guard, but that sure as hell did.

Law often felt that Robin's mind was like a maze, and almost every corner was a dead-end. Law had never met anyone or anything which he couldn't mange before. It was depressing, to say in the least.

Through time, he learned to expect the unexpected from Robin and was able to obtain a vague idea of how her mind (possibly) works. Just when he thought he had finally gained the upper-hand over her. Then _this_ happened.

He knew he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to rip Ace limb from limb when he saw him dance with her. He used think that it was because he didn't want Ace to offer her a contract and steal her soul. But now he wasn't so sure.

"What have you done to me?" He whispered. Law wished he could stop thinking these uncomfortable things, but his mind would always wander to Robin against his will. Something he felt to be rather annoying. He found that his eyes would also stray towards Robin's direction subconsciously. She had already occupied his vision. Why can't she leave his mind alone? He was in urgent need of a distraction. As if on cue, he felt a sudden burst of demon energy come from the rooftop. It irked him terribly when he recognized the source of the energy.

_That bastard._

Law grabbed his sword which was propped against the table and stood up. It seemed to him that not only did Robin possess the talent for throwing him off guard, she also had a major talent when it comes to attracting obnoxious demons.

-xXx-

"Yo, Traffy." Ace greeted when Law appeared on the rooftop of Robin's house from out-of-no-where. He knew Law's knack of appearing out of thin air, so he did not seem to be fazed. Law scowled at the sight of him.

"I'll admit it took me a while to find Robin's house. You're quite good at hiding her essence, aren't you?" Ace drawled.

"What do you want, Portgas?" Law asked in a tone which would have made most living beings cower in fear. Ace, as usual, chose to ignore the more-than-subtle hint of enmity.

"Robin, obviously."

A sudden burst of demonic presence not far from here stopped Law from giving a scathing reply. Ace turned to him with a serious expression. They both recognized the presence to be demons sent by the Royal Court.

"I _did_ say she won't be safe with you." Ace said accusingly.

Law sighed. The demons from the Royal Court would need to be taken care of, but Robin would also need protection. Law came to a solution that was not at all to his liking. Even though he'd prefer it if Ace wasn't anywhere near Robin, he would have to ally with the fire-friendly demon for now.

"You might as well make yourself useful, Portgas. While I deal with the demons, you'll protect Robin. How about that?"

If "disbelief" were a color, it would have been all over Ace's face.

Law did not particularly like the smug look which snuck onto Ace's face after he had gotten over his surprise. He was contemplating the most horrendous of ways to wipe that smirk off his face when Ace replied.

"Sure." Ace found it hard to believe that Law would actually leave Robin with him, but he promised himself he'll use this opportunity to get himself on closer terms with Robin. The happy-go-lucky expression plastered on his face must have been quite evident, since Law warned him in a threatening voice, "But if you ever try to offer her a contract, I'll skin you alive. Understand?"

"Loud and clear."

A thought nagged at the back of Law's mind. Knowing Robin, she would want to start training immediately after she wakes up. But her body was still recovering from their training yesterday.

"Make sure she doesn't do anything too active. She still needs to rest due to her training yesterday." Law said.

As soon as the words left Law's mouth, Ace's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

_Did_ the _Trafalgar Law actually say that?!_

He remained frozen in that posture for a fraction of a second before he started guffawing. The volume of his laughter began to gradually rise until it became harmful.

Law said coldly "What could be so funny to a demon who falls asleep in the middle of conversations?"

"I can't believe it!" Ace gasped through fierce fits of laughter, "You actually fell for her!"

"Wha-! I did not!" It was the last thing Law had expected him to say. Since Law was still finding it hard to admit that even to himself, he found himself not knowing how to counter Ace's words.

"Yes, you did. The _usual_ Trafalgar Law would never have cared whether or not a person needs rest, let alone mentioned such things." Ace said while still laughing. His laughter had risen to a truly disturbing volume. Law began to worry that he would wake Robin up at this rate. As far as Law was concerned, Robin needed every ounce of sleep she could get. And this idiot was going to ruin it with his manic laughter.

"Keep quiet, will you? You'll wake her up if you continue like this." Law hissed.

"Afraid your little secret might get out?" Ace teased.

Before he could even register what he was saying, Law blurted out "No, you oaf! Robin still needs to sleep. And you'll wake her up if you don't shut up right now." Upon catching himself saying these things, Law cursed himself inwardly for displaying such un-demon-like concerns. Especially while in front of Ace.

"Face it, Trafalgar. You. Care. About. Her." Ace said in a slow, obnoxious way. Law felt his hands itch for Ace's throat.

"Wow. Does that mean we're love rivals, now?" Ace said with a thoughtful look.

Irritated by his own out-of-character-behavior and Ace's teasing, Law said venomously "Firstly, I do _not_ care for her. Secondly, we are not so equal that you may call me a rival."

Ace smirked maliciously, "Firstly, you do care about her. Stop denying it. Secondly, the last time I checked, you and I are both over-powered bastards. I think that pretty much makes us equal."

The corner of Law's mouth twitched unpleasantly. He would have probably used every abusive word in his vocabulary to make sure Ace understood how he felt about his reply, had the pressing matter of the pursuers sent by the Royal Court not demanded his attention first. He glared at Ace.

"We'll settle this later."

"Looking forward it." Ace said with a cheeky wave as Law sped off towards the direction the pursuers were at. Law couldn't help but sigh. Protecting Robin already had his hands full, and now he had that idiotic flame-throwing demon to handle as well.

-xXx-

The beam of the morning light warmed Robin's face gently, causing her to open her eyes. The first thing she had expected to see when her eyes came into focus was her practically-empty room, not a tall shirtless figure standing in her bedroom.

"What the-?!" Robin reached under her pillow to fetch the Sea Prism dagger and hurled it at Ace with incredible speed.

"Whoa! Watch it!" Ace ducked out of the way. The dagger made a hissing sound as it sailed through the air at top-speed and sank itself deep into the wall. Right in the position where Ace's head had been a second ago.

Ace straightened his hat and said sarcastically, "Well, good morning to you, too."

"What are you doing here?"

Your coldness is quite wounding." Ace said with a sad, puppy-dog expression. Just then, a large bundle of white fur streaked past Ace and flung itself onto Robin's bed and into her lap. Robin smiled and rubbed Bepo behind his ears affectionately. Somehow, this dog had grown on her, and Robin found she simply couldn't turn him back to the streets.

Ace gave a dramatic sigh and muttered to himself, "It's times like this that make me wish I were a dog."

"You still haven't told me why you're here."

"Trafalgar is dealing with the demons sent by the Royal Court, so I'm filling in his guard duty." Ace said with a noble expression.

Robin stopped stroking Bepo. She looked up at Ace. She had been meaning to ask Law but he didn't seem like the type who would give satisfying answers.

"What is the Royal Court?"

Ace raised his eye brow, "You didn't ask Traffy about it?"

"No. I don't think he would have answered anyway."

"Hmm. True. Well, the Royal Court is what you would call the government of the Demon World, I suppose."

"And what does Trafalgar have to do with them?"

"I don't know it in detail, but I think he was a distant cousin of the Demon King. Since Traffy's pretty powerful, the Demon King appointed him to assist the CP9. The CP9 is the Demon King's personal assassin team. And Trafalgar got tired of working for them, so he fled to the Human World." After a pause, "That's all I know."

"Why did Trafalgar get tired of working for them?"

Ace looked thoughtful, "The CP9 is basically a bunch of bastards. They'd kill you if you so much as cross their path in a way they don't like. I guess Trafalgar grew tired of their massacre."

"Wouldn't the Demon King know about it?" Law did not seem to Robin the type who would get tired of a massacre. She had thought he was a blood-thirsty and evil creature designed to damn all those who come cross him. Perhaps she had misjudged him all along. She began to wonder just how much she had misjudged him.

_What if all the things I thought about him were wrong? What if he isn't evil?_

"The Demon King trusts his subordinates. He lets them govern themselves. In fact, I think it wasn't even the Demon King who sent demons after you and Traffy. I think it's the CP9."

-xXx-

Law had suspected that it was the CP9 who sent the demons after him and Robin. And it seemed he was correct. Demons were sent after him in groups and packs. The Demon King would have sent a small team of elites, rather than a pack of weaklings. Either the CP9 was really bored or they just down-right hated him. Law guessed the latter. By the time he was done dealing with the packs of demons sent into the Human World, it was already well into the night. Seeing as the house wasn't in ashes, Law assumed that Robin was able to restrain Ace from using his "talents". But there was no telling whether or not he had trashed the inside of the place. So Law hurried into the house.

Law had expected to see Ace showing off in front of Robin when he entered the house. Yet, it was the scene of Robin reading alone quietly in the living room that greeted him. Robin looked up from her book. Law noticed that something in her eyes changed, the pointed guardedness in her eyes had lessened.

"Where's Portgas?"

"He left a few minutes ago. He said you'd be back soon." Upon seeing Law's disapproving look, she added "He does have a street gang to run."

Law found that the aggression in her voice had also decreased.

_Now that's weird._

"Are you sick, Robin?" He asked. There must be a reason why Robin wasn't behaving as coldly towards him as she usually does.

"I'm perfectly fine." Robin said while standing up from her chair. "I'm... going to bed." She said and headed for the stairs. Before she went up the steps, she turned to Law as if to say something. She opened her mouth and closed it again. After a second of silence, she finally said "Good night, Trafalgar." Then disappeared upstairs.

Law stood motionless, as what Robin had said echoed through his mind.

_Did she actually say good night to me?!_

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review! They really keep me motivated. I am happy to say that I'm coping with my work-load rather well. So far, I still have time to update weekly.

P.S. I plan to make Shanks the Demon King.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. But I've been really busy this week.

Thank you all for the reviews! You have no idea how happy and honored I am. As always, please review. They really keep me motivated.

One Piece belongs to Echiiro Oda.

-xXx-

Robin tossed and turned in her bed. Frustrated by how stubbornly her body denied sleep. Lying in her bed with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling eventually drove her out of bed. Robin got off her bed and headed downstairs to find Law. Since she couldn't sleep, she might as well do some training.

Law was resting on the sofa with his eyes open when Robin came into the living room. His pale eyes glinted like marbles in the dark room.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Law said as he sat up straight and rested his chin on his fist. He was truly a handsome creature. His gray eyes focused on her while his mouth was set in a thoughtful line. He seemed completely out-of-place in her drab living room with his hellishly stunning good looks.

"I can't sleep. Can we train?" Robin replied as she tried to shake off the intense feeling she felt under Law's gaze.

"Fine." Law got up and led the way to the garage.

-xXx-

When they entered the garage, Law reached for the light switch.

"Wait. I want to fight in the dark." Robin said.

"Why?"

"If I can fight with ease in the dark, then fighting in the light would be a piece of cake."

"I see." Law turned around to face her. His figure set alight by the moon light pouring from the window on the wall of the garage. "Hit me."

Without hesitating, Robin struck at his stomach. Law twisted aside and aimed for her knee, which Robin evaded by rolling out of the way.

They continued to grapple. And Robin's improvement was apparent. She was now able to evade Law's attacks with less effort. But she was still unable to successfully land a hit on Law. He was simply too fast for her to do anything to him. And she knew that.

_That's Mother Nature slapping me in the face._ Robin thought bitterly. _But what if I can take him by surprise..._

Robin ducked the punch aimed at her stomach, and instead of attacking him normally, Robin lunged at him. Surprised by her move, Law hesitated. Causing Robin to successfully crash into him and push him to the ground. They landed on the floor with a loud thud. Robin didn't feel anything though, since Law cushioned her fall.

"I got you." Robin said breathlessly through a smile.

Subconsciously, Law reached up to brush a strand of hair out of Robin's face. His actions stunned both of them into silence. He quickly extracted his hand and looked away awkwardly with a fake cough.

Robin stared at the demon trapped beneath her. His stunning face luminous under the moon light, and his feral gray eyes seemed to reel her in. He was a stunning creature. Why had it taken her so long to realize this? Emotions she hadn't even realized existed flooded her. She had always hated the girls who would crowd around Law. Robin had thought it was because the girls were all loud and annoying. But was that the only reason? At that moment, she realized. She wanted Law. End of story. Robin looked deep into Law's eyes and found that the hunger in them mirrored hers. And she knew he understood.

Robin crashed her lips onto Law's. He received them with equal passion and ferocity. Making her mind awash with pleasure and desire. It was as if the world had shrunk, and all that were left were the two of them. All thoughts of demons and the CP9 vanished. Robin ran her fingers through his hair and bit down slightly on his lips. She knew she probably shouldn't be doing this with him, but it felt so wrong, yet so right at the same time. Law hissed under the pain but pulled Robin closer to him. In return, he bit her neck and drew some blood. Law growled as he sucked at it. He nipped, kissed and sucked at her neck, which caused her to moan. Making sheer fits of pleasure surge through her like electricity. Robin was inclined to believe that this was some form of demon magic. Or else how could he make her mind shut down completely? And make her feel nothing but him? But when Robin looked into those pale gray eyes, she saw the glint and emotions in them, and knew that this was real.

"You need sleep." Law managed to say through kisses.

"I'm fine." Robin moaned.

Nonetheless, Law picked Robin up as easily as if she was light as air and carried her to her room while caressing her lips softly with his own.

He placed her down lightly on her bed. Robin clung to him and pulled him closer. Willing him to stay. Although she didn't say anything, Law understood and murmured "I'll stay."

Satisfied, Robin drifted to sleep under the soft caress of Law's lips and the lullaby of his whispered words. Only one thought ran through her mind.

This had been the first time in ages she was able to sleep at night.

-xXx-

Robin opened her eyes to her room which was brightly lit by the morning light. Her eyes turned to Law who was sitting on her bed and looking at her with intent passion.

"Hey." He greeted her with a smile and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Robin shuddered at his touch.

"There's a group of demons approaching here. I'll need to take care of them."

"I see." Robin sat up and tried to look less disappointed than she really felt. She had wanted to spend some more time with him. But it seemed one could never quite hide anything from a demon. Especially one's desires.

Law lifted her chin and made her look him in the eyes.

"I'll be back soon." He said mischievously with the stunning smirk which Robin suspected had been what ensnared her in the first place.

Law teleported out of the room. Once he was gone, Robin decided to go for a walk. She needed to think. She donned a jacket and walked out into the cool morning breeze.

Robin had never had a boyfriend before. Guys and relationships were Nami's forte, not hers. She had never noticed any of the guys around her enough to like them. And she simply dismissed all the date invitations. Nami could tell you a hundred ways to charm a guy while Robin could tell you a hundred ways to kill a person without making any noises.

_That's me. _Robin thought helplessly. She wasn't sure how she wanted things to progress between Law and her. She sure as hell didn't want it to end. But he was a demon and she was a human. Could anything between two species really last?

"Are you Nico Robin?"

"Huh?" Robin had been too deep in thought to notice the group of people dressed in black approach her.

"Yes." Robin said tentatively. Somehow, this strange group didn't feel right to her. The man who had spoken had a white bird perched on his shoulder. He gave an unpleasant smile.

"I'm Rob Lucci. There are some things we'd like to discuss with you."

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope this chapter satisfied you guys! I don't write mature content. So this is as far as things get between them.

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm back. My apologies and thanks to all of you who waited patiently. I've been studying for an important exam, so now that it's over I can finally update again. Thank you all for leaving a review on the last chapter. I read every single one of them, and I really appreciate it.

As always, please leave a review! (They encourage me to update sooner.)

One Piece belongs to Oda Echiiro.

-xXx-

Robin had experienced numerous emotions she had hoped she would never feel. For example, the beaten feeling when your mind would go blank and only the thought "Oh, shit" would drift across it. Robin had only felt that feeling once before. Which was when Law had raided a pet shop due to boredom and came home with twelve dogs and ten cats. Her encounter with this eccentric, black-dressed group is now officially the second time she experienced this feeling.

She did not need any killer instincts to know that an encounter with them would not bode well for her. Even the air around them smelled dangerous. There were too many of them, not to mention they were all extremely powerful. She had no chance against them if engaged in a fight.

The man who called himself Rob Lucci spoke up once more, "You know Trafalgar Law, don't you? The things we need to discuss have a great deal to do with him."

It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water on her. Robin gave an un-controllable shudder as her body numbed from the thought of Law's body lying lifeless on the ground. He smiled unpleasantly, "We haven't done anything to him. Yet. Whether or not we take any forms of action towards him will depend solely on your answer to our request."

Cold dread coiled around Robin, a feeling she was still un-accustomed to. She had been the hunter for too long, and had forgotten what it felt like to be the prey...

Strangely enough, Robin found that the fear she was feeling was not for her own safety, but for Law's well-being. Before, she had never feared for anyone's safety but Nami's.

"What do you want?" To her own credit, Robin's voice sounded much steadier and fiercer than she was truly feeling. Years of experience as an assassin had made her a good actress.

Lucci's eye brows traveled sky-ward. He had not expected to see this brand of fierceness from a female human. She had now sparked his interest. Perhaps he would change his mind about killing her once she had served her purpose...

"Nothing much, really. We only request that you come with us. And you must tell him that you wish to never see him again."

Robin opened her mouth but Lucci cut her off before she could say anything.

"Before you decline, you should know that your dear friend Nami just might suffer a terrible fatal accident if you do." Robin's face paled. Lucci smiled, enjoying the impact his words had made. He added in an un-caring way, "Humans are such fragile creatures, Miss Nico. Surely you know that. And it's quite easy for them to die."

The scene of Nami bleeding out on the sacrificial table went on endless replay in Robin's mind. How Nami's screams had ripped through the air, the way her blood had painted the table a deep crimson...

"No! Don't hurt her!" Robin said frantically. She had made a promise to herself that she would never let something like that happen to Nami again. Ever.

"Oh, we won't hurt her. But only if you cooperate." The smile he had fixed on his face left no doubt that he was sure he had nailed her. And he did. He had targeted one of her greatest weaknesses. Her only friend.

Robin hung her head, feeling useless. She would not mind dying on Nami or Law's behalf. But it wasn't her life they were threatening, it was theirs.

Lucci smirked triumphantly, "We'll take you to the Demon World this afternoon. That is, if you take our deal."

Robin forced herself to look her adversary in the eye. And the look in them made it clear that he knew he had won this round. Robin loathed herself for giving them such an easy victory.

_This is why I've never wanted to know more people, to make more friends, to love someone... They'd always end up hurt because of me..._

"See you then." Lucci said as he and the rest of the CP9 scattered into flocks of crows and disappeared.

The wind suddenly seemed colder even though the sun was showing off its brightest glory in the morning sky.

Robin wrapped her arms around herself tightly and looked up at the sky. It was as if the sky was laughing at her for making the mistake of falling for someone with all its sunny happiness.

_Law... Nami..._

-xXx-

Robin sat in her small kitchen and considered her next step. Law wasn't back, yet. There was still time for her to prepare a cold mask of indifference for facing him. She left a voice mail for Nami, telling her to come to her house this afternoon. She had left a book on the table with a note addressed to her pressed between its pages. She simply couldn't just leave without leaving a farewell to Nami. Robin looked at the digital clock on the wall, the cold, lifeless numbers on the clock face showed that it was twelve-thirty. Normally, she would have wondered what was taking Law so long. But it no longer mattered now...

A knock from the front door brought her back to reality. She stood up numbly and answered the door, her mask of blankness falling in to place. She had expected it to be the very demon she would have to confront, instead, she found Ace standing in the doorway.

"Hey. Just checking to see if you're okay." He said with a puzzled look when he saw her distant expression.

"I'm fine." Robin scrambled to recompose herself. She couldn't afford to let Ace get suspicious.

"Shouldn't you be with him?" Ace asked casually, or at least, he tries to. There was a slight wistfulness in his otherwise casual tone.

"Him?"

"Law. Since you guys like each other."

Robin's eyes widened in shock. _How did he-?!_

"I may not be the smartest guy in the world, Robin. But I'm not blind. I've seen the way you guys look at each other. Even though you might not realize it yourselves." He said. A smile tinted with the faintest touch of sadness graced his face. It was so different from the smug look he usually wore on his face that Robin didn't know what to say.

"So... Take care, alright?" Ace said a bit awkwardly.

Robin got the feeling that Ace was bidding her farewell, due to his not wanting to come between her and Law.

"You're fine with me being with him?" Robin couldn't help but feel slightly curious.

"If you're happy with him, then that's good enough for me." He replied with a sheepish smile.

Despite all the things that were happening, Robin smiled. She stood on tip-toe and gently pecked him on the cheeks.

"Guess I'll see you around." Ace said with a grin and erupted into a column of flames before disappearing.

Moments after Ace had gone, Robin heard a pop and turned around to face Law who had materialized behind her. Robin felt as if the playful smirk on his face was slowly killing her inside. She steeled herself and spoke in the most distant and un-caring voice she could muster.

"I need to tell you something."

It was incredible how fast the playfulness on his face slipped and gave way to concern and puzzlement.

"I don't ever want to see you again. And I'm serious." Her voice suddenly seemed too loud in the confined space of her living room. The silence that followed was murderous. Robin could almost see her words bounce off the walls and impale themselves deep into both of them.

She knew Law's voice well enough to know what voice he uses when he was too miserable for tears and too hurt to argue. He stood rigid and un-blinking. And spoke in that voice, "Why?"

"Because you continue to put me and Nami in danger. Last night was a mistake, I realize that now. So don't you ever try to seek me out." Robin finished saying all that in one breath. For she was afraid if she paused, her mask of indifference would crack. Law didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at her with those enticing gray eyes of his. After a while, he finally broke the silence, "So this is it, isn't?"

"Yes. Also, I'm leaving for a while. I need to get away from... all this." Robin turned and swept out of the house before she could do anything rash. She just couldn't stand seeing the numb, hurt look on Law's face, and she wanted so desperately to make that look disappear.

Robin had always snorted at the sappy love songs that Nami seemed to adore so much. The lyrics just sounded foolish to her, they were always about how the heart of the singer felt as if it were torn to pieces at the sight of her/his lover's sad, miserable face. Robin had scoffed at this, she had thought the only way for someone to feel such pain is for them to drive a blade into their own heart and make mince meat out of it. But now she felt as though someone had plunged a hand into her chest and was wrenching her heart with all their might. The pain was so intense she nearly choked on it.

Robin did not look back as she stepped out of the house and slammed the door. She walked slowly to the place where the CP9 would pick her up.

_This is why I should never have experienced love. This is why it's not worth it..._

-To be continued-

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm terribly sorry for the long delay. I promise I won't drop this story. So please bear with me.


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